


For Takeo

by kuurrage



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Children, Drama & Romance, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Kuroo has a kid, Single Parents, Volleyball, Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28809681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuurrage/pseuds/kuurrage
Summary: The story of how Sasaki Harumi (25) became the main character on a rainy night.Ft. Kuroo TetsurouPs.This is supposed to be a kuroo x reader fanfic but I don’t like using y/n so I made my own character.I hope you have fun playing the role of Sasaki Harumi!Updates every Sunday <3
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/You
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

"Awakened, snow white bids farewell to the dwarves and animals and rides off with the prince to live happily ever after."

I looked down and a small round head was resting soundly on my lap. 

_Ah, the little devil is asleep._

As I was putting the book down, I felt a small pull on my waist. Another head popped out from behind me, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

_Well, one of them at least._

"Miss Sasaki, why did the princess go with the prince?" she asked, pointing at the horse riding scene in the book. 

"Well, the princess fell in love with the prince, Tomiko. And wanted to spend her life with him."

"But she just met him! Why would she just follow him around? Mommy told me to never follow strangers!" Tomiko exclaimed, her eyebrows scrunched, as if trying to imitate what her mother's expression had been when she told her that. 

I let out a soft laugh. 

"Shh, Tomiko-chan, you're going to wake up Osamu." 

She folded her arms together, letting out a small huff. "I don't care about him, he always steals my snacks anyways."

"But don't you think he looks adorable when he sleeps?" I said, slowly lifting Osamu up and holding him in my arms. Despite him being a satan's spawn when awake, he was still one of my favourites in the group. 

I swept part of his hair to the side to prevent it from brushing against his eyes. To my surprise, a small hand reached out to touch his. I looked at Tomiko and her face had a slight pinkish tone. After a awhile, she pulled her hand back and put it behind her. Her face looking to the side. A little pout formed on her lips. 

"Well, he is kinda cute." 

I let out a smile and bent my body forward just a little bit to give her a pat on the head. 

"About the question you asked just now..." I said, slowly standing up, careful not to wake the little one. 

"... maybe at that moment, it just felt right." I smiled at her and slowly made my way to the futon we laid down for the kids to nap on.

As I held Osamu in my arms, a soft light shined through the window. The wind outside made a soft hissing sound and the tree leaves brought a earthy copper tone to its surroundings. 

_What a beautiful sight._

"AHH!" Someone screamed. 

_And now the moment is gone._

The sounds of stuff going 'bang' and 'clang' came after the scream.

I turned around and saw my coworker running towards the other end of the room. My eyes trailed towards that direction and saw a boy, with his face planted on the floor. 

And not just any boy, it was Kuroo Takeo.

_**-Three months ago-** _

"Thanks for the help, Sasaki!" Mrs Fujimura, one of the seniors in the nursery said, while waving her hand at my direction. I waved back, giving her a tiny smile, "Be careful on the road, Mrs Fujimura." Today marks the end of my first week working at Hiroo Nursery in Minato. I was supposed to meet a friend for a fitness class around this time but here I am, stuck with an extra shift of singing and cleaning after children. 

Do it for the money, do it for the money. I chanted to myself. In my defense, I do enjoy being around those little devils, but doing it for 10 hours straight is just overwhelming. That's why nap time has become one of my favourite sessions of the day. 

After a few more waves, Mrs Fujimura's silhouette slowly disappeared from my sight. I walked back into room 3B, where I was in charged of, and realized that most of the kids in my group had already been taken home by their parents. There were only 2 left, one of them was the blonde haired girl who loved braiding people's hair, Tomiko. Unfortunately, I have become her prime target ever since I started working here because of my long hair. 

The other kid was Takeo, a 2 year old boy with fluffy black hair. I vividly remember my first day here, of how mesmerised I was at his beautiful eyes. They were a light shade of blue and it looked as if the skies were ingrained into his irises. He was a nice kid, when he wanted to at least. But from the interactions I had with him this week, I could tell that he was very smart. Some might even call him a child prodigy. He loved asking questions about basically everything - why is the sky blue, how telephones work, etc. I've lost count the amount of times I had to Google the answers for him. All that said, he was still very adorable and as of now, he was fast asleep with his friend, Skippu, the stuffed penguin he brought from home. 

"Miss Sasaki, where is Mrs Fujimura?" Tomiko asks. 

"Mrs Fujimura has something to do so she has to leave early today, Tomiko," I said, crouching down to meet her at eye-level.

"Are you going to stay with me till my mommy comes?" 

"Yeap."

"Yay! I like you more than Mrs Fujimura anyways. She doesn't let me eat my candy."

Technically I'm not supposed to let you eat them too. 

"Is that so, Tomiko? Well, pinky promise to keep the candies a secret between us, okay?" 

Otherwise my paycheck might get cut!

"I promise!" She grinned, with her teeth shown. 

_Is that a plaque?_

_Okay I might need to change the conditions of our secret soon._

"When do you think mommy will pick me up?" 

"She should be here soon, Tomiko."

The sun started to sink lower in the sky, crickets were chirping, and dusky colours subdued the fading light. From a distance, you could see the street lights click on, as cars were heading out of the city, back to their homes away from town. I could hear conversations from the teachers in the next room and they were were excited to finally get a rest after a long week of working. 

_Another weekend huh? I hope I get accepted into that part time job this time._

A while later, one of the staff from administration came in. 

"Mr Kuroo is here to pick up his son, he's waiting outside the main door as of now," she said.

"Alright, give me five minutes, I'll get Takeo ready," I replied.

I walked towards the futon space we had for the kids and gently pat Takeo on his shoulders.

He opened his eyes slowly, giving them a moment to shed the sleep from his brain, his lids drooped. 

"Takeo, your father is here."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, daddy's here to take you home, Takeo."

Yawning, he muttered "okay" under his breath.

After cleaning the drool on his shirt, I took his bag and made my way to the entrance.

"Tomiko, be a good girl, okay? I'll be back soon," I said, while patting her on the head.

Because of the way management had fixed our shifts, it was the first time I've actually brought a child out from the nursery instead of bringing them in. 

_I wonder what his father is like._

When we reached the main door, there stood a tall figure dressed in a well kept suit, his back facing us.

"Daddy!" Takeo let go of my hand and ran towards his father.

When the figure turned around, I could feel my face getting warm. 

_Oh no._

He had the kind of face that would stop you in your tracks. His hair was black and tousled, complementing the sharp features he had. Just as his son's eyes displayed a limitless sky, his eyes were the shade of grey clouds. The sudden pause in his natural expression, as he braces himself for his son that was running towards him, followed by a smile that extended to his eyes, was enough to make any woman fall for him. 

_Is this why the other staff members were always so happy when they got the last shift?_

"Takeo, I missed you!" he said, lifting him up.

"I missed you too, daddy!"

"Oya, who is the lady that brought you here this time?

"Daddy, this is Miss Sasaki. Mrs Fujimura went home early today."

"Is that so? Nice to meet you, I'm Kuroo Tesurou, Takeo's father," he said, putting his right hand out to shake mine. 

"Nice to meet you, Mr Kuroo, I'm-"

My sentence was cut short when I saw panic forming in Kuroo's eyes as he looked at his son's shirt.

"Why is there blood on my son? Takeo, are you okay? Did you get hurt? What happened here?" 

As frantic as he was, my heart also started to race. 

_Blood? What blood? Did he get hurt today? Why didn't I notice it?_

I looked at the stain that Kuroo was pointing at, frantically trying to notice what went wrong. 

_Breathe, Harumi._

When my brain finally decided to work, I realized the 'blood' he was talking about was just red paint we used for art class today.

"Mr. Kuroo, calm down, nothing happened- "

"Then why does he have these stains?" His soft expression was now gone. You could feel a dark aura coming from his eyes, enveloped with worry and fear.

I didn't know what to do. My brain stopped working, again, and I just froze.

The administration staff saw what was happening and quickly cut into our conversation. 

"We were doing finger painting today and those were stains from the red paint they used. We're so sorry that our aprons didn't manage to fully cover up their clothes to prevent this damage," she said solemnly, while bowing her head down to apologize. 

After hearing what she said, Kuroo's expression softened. His face a little red from embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I was just ... worried," he said. 

"It's okay, Mr Kuroo, we'll make sure this doesn't happened again in the future," the staff member replied.

Soon after, Kuroo brought his son to the car and drove out of the nursery grounds.

Still in shock, I was just standing in front of the entrance until I was brought back to reality with a hand to my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Miss Sasaki, I forgot that you were still new and haven't met any of the children's parents yet. About what happened just now, Takeo's father is bit ... protective, you don't have to worry so much about it," she said. 

"I... Okay," I managed to say. 

Afterwards, I never really got the chance to take the last shift anymore, and everything was just back to the way it was. 

Or so I thought.

_**-Present Day-** _

Takeo stayed in that position, face planted on the floor, for a solid five seconds before he pushed himself up into a sitting position. The silence he gave was broken a few moments later as fat tears started streaming down his rose coloured cheeks. Some bruises started to form on his hands and chin, the surface changing into a purplish shade.

_Out of all the kids here, it had to be him who got hurt._

"Tomiko, hold Osamu for me," I said, crouching down so she could hold him. She retorted a little at first, but understood the situation and took the sleeping boy in her arms. He was still pretty small, so Tomiko could hold him with ease. 

I made my way to Takeo as fast as I could. My subconscious continuously harassing me for breaking the third rule of childcare - don't get distracted.

 _Curse the beautiful sight just now._

My coworker reached first and scooped up Takeo, careful not to press against anything that might have been hurt. Takeo held onto her shirt and cried into her chest, soft whimpers coming out of his mouth. I could tell that he was restraining himself from crying too much.

She tried to calm him down with gentle pats in the back, while swaying from one foot to the other, murmuring "it's okay" softly. That trick might've worked because after a while, he let go of her shirt and started to wipe his tears with his hands. His face was red. I wasn't sure if it was from the fall or because of how hard he tried to rub off his tears, but his cries turned into sniffles and soon asked for her to put him down. 

He took a few steps towards me and reached his hand out. 

"You want a hug?" I asked.

He shook his head and pointed to my hand.

_My hand?_

"Miss Sasaki, I think he wants the stuffed penguin you're holding," my coworker said.

_Stuffed penguin?_

That's when I realized I had instinctively searched and held on to Mr. Skippu while Takeo was crying. 

"Here," I said, giving him the stuffed toy. 

He held Mr. Skippu tightly, his cheeks still glistening from the leftover tears. I gave him a gentle smile and pat his head.

"What just happened?" I asked my coworker.

"We were doing some colouring just now and the blue crayon was missing. I left him for a little while to get a new box in the stationery drawer and when I came back I saw him falling off the bookshelf," she said pointing to the 2 metre bookshelf next to us. 

If it's from the bookshelf, isn't he supposed to land on his back? Wait, how did he even get there?

I squat down and put my hand on Takeo's shoulder.

"Takeo, what happened just now?"

He was hesitant to talk.

_Is he scared that he'll get scolded?_

"It's okay Takeo, I promise you're not in trouble. We just want to fix whatever hurt you so your friends don't get hurt the same way," I said, showing him my pinky. He connected his pinky finger to mine and nodded. "I climbed .. the shelf.. to get the blue crayon .. I put my left hand out .. too far ... and fell," he said, pointing at one of the higher parts of the shelf, his voice a little strained from crying.

_I guess it makes sense to fall face first if his body was turned sideways. The momentum might've been a factor._

I gave him another pat on the head. "Thank you for telling us, Takeo. You're very brave! Next time, call us if you need help okay? Especially if you need something from the shelf, we'll be here for you." Takeo nodded. He also gave us a little smile, happy that he didn't get into trouble. Afterwards, we applied some cream onto his bruises to ease the pain and cleaned up the collateral damage from his fall. Throughout that time, one question kept floating in my head.

_How am I going to tell his father about this incident?_

As if she was listening to my thoughts, my coworker said, "Miss Sasaki, I'll tell Mr. Kuroo what happened, since I was the one looking after him last." 

"Are you sure? We could do this together," I replied.

"It's okay, I'll do it."

Part of me wanted to scream _Lucky!_ since I didn't have to break the story to his father. But another part of me felt bad because now it's my coworkers responsibility. 

_None of this is lucky._

Evening came and there were less kids by the hour. As the clock struck five, a familiar "What happened here" could be heard from the main entrance. 

_So it begins._

I didn't want to listen any longer so I moved to the storage area for a little peace. A few moments later, my coworker came back. Her usual carefree demeanor faltering, a solemn air hung over her head. "Remind me never to take my eyes off kids again," she said, her tone giving off the 'I've seen hell' vibe. I gave her a little hug, hoping that it would warm her up, just a little. 

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay Miss Sasaki, I deserved it anyways."

_Now I feel even worse. Think of something, Harumi._

"Why don't you go home first, I'll take care of your remaining shift." I put my hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure? You weren't even supposed to be here this late, your shift ended an hour ago," she replied. "Yes, don't worry about it." A small sparkle lit up her eyes, she accepted my offer and to my dismay, sent a profound amount of "Thank you, Miss Sasaki" and "You're the best, Miss Sasaki" to me. 

The last thing I heard from her that day was "I'm sorry to take your time. I'll definitely repay you back, Miss Sasaki!", and she left. 

_It's not like I really have anything to do tonight. Plus it's mostly just cleaning work that needs to be done. Although it would be nice if I were getting paid._

By 6:30 p.m., all of the staff had already gone home. I could've gone home too, but there was that one stain in Room 4A that just wouldn't come off, and it annoyed me so much that I couldn't leave unless I got rid of it first.

I tried everything. I basically used all the cleaning agents available and it was still there. 

_Why aren't you coming off? What kind of stain are you anyways? How dare you take so much of my time. You good for nothing stain. You think you're better than me?_

My mid-life crisis was disturbed by the sound of a ringing telephone.

_Where is it coming from?_

I followed the sound and it lead me to the reception area. Since I turned off the lights earlier, the room was pitch black except for some flickering on the telephone. The ringing continued and I wasn't sure if I should pick it up since it's after hours. Then, a flashback of recent horror movie I watched flashed before my eyes. 

_Isn't this like that scene where the victim gets a phone call and dies?_

My body gave a little shiver and the air around me felt colder. 

_Stop it, Harumi. Why would someone want to kill you anyway? Unless .._

I ended up slapping my face to dismiss those thoughts. I walked over to the phone and picked up the call.

"Hello? Hiroo Nursey?" The voice on the other end sounded very familiar. It was a man, but I couldn't seem to put a name on it.

"Good evening, this is Hiroo Nursery, we are closed at the moment, we will be open tomorrow at 6 o'clock." 

"I know, but it's urgent, please, can someone help?" the man's voice sounded frantic.

"What's the matter, sir?" I asked.

"My son's bracelet. I didn't realize it wasn't there until I got home. Can you find it for me, please? It's really important." I could sense the angst he was feeling.

"Okay, sir. What is your son's name?"

"Kuroo, Kuroo Takeo."

_Okay Kuroo Takeo, I think he's in class 3- Wait, Takeo?!_

_That means that this is ... Kuroo Tetsurou._

"Okay, what does the bracelet look like?" I asked.

"It's a red Kumihimo braided bracelet with a silver clasp. You can't miss it." 

My thoughts travelled from east to west, flipping through the memories I had with Takeo. 

_Now that I think about it, he did have a bracelet on him all the time. It might've broke when he fell from the shelf just now!_

"Mr. Kuroo, can you hold onto line while I go search for it? I might know where it is," I said, reassuring him.

After I received the "okay" from him, I made my way to Class 3B. As soon as I reached, I turned on the lights and started searching the area where Takeo had fell. Sure enough, there was a small reflection of light coming from the silver clasp connecting the braid together. I picked up the bracelet and walked back to the reception. 

"Mr Kuroo?" I said, talking to the phone.

"Did you find it?" He asked.

"Yes, Mr Kuroo, I found it."

"Thank God, I thought I would never see it again," he said, his voice was calmer now. "I'll head over to pick it up."

"Okay."

_Wait-_

_If I remember correctly, Takeo's profile said that he lived in Sangenjaya. It's going to take him half an hour just to get here with all the traffic._

My stomach started to rumble.

_I have to wait for another half an hour here?_

"Mr Kuroo, wait-" I added, before he hung up. 

"Yes?" He replied.

"Maybe we can meet at a station nearby so you don't have to drive so far." I chimed, hoping that it would change his mind.

"Are you sure?" 

"No problem at all. Is Shibuya station okay for you?" 

"Yes, see you there." 

Afterwards, he hung up the phone and I was left with the status tone on the line. 

_Well, I guess I have to go to Shibuya now._

The ten-minute trip to Shibuya station was not comfortable at all. The subway was crowded and it honestly felt like I was a sardine stuck in a can. I wanted to stop by 7-Eleven to get an onigiri to-go but was scared that Takeo's dad would get angry if I made him wait too long. I could feel my stomach screaming for food. 

_I should call Mr Kuroo to tell him I'm here. Let me just get my phone out and dial his num-_

_SHIT, I DIDN'T WRITE HIS NUMBER DOWN._

I looked at my phone, and looked up, and looked back down again, as if his number would suddenly pop out.

_What am I doing?!_

After a mini breakdown, I decided the best way to find him was to walk around Shibuya Station's main entrance, and pray to God that by some chance, we would meet. However, the crowd, the noise and the constant glaring of LED car lights were not helping at all.

I gave up after 10 minutes. 

I sat down on an empty bench nearby (which took me another 5 minutes to find) and just stared at the people walking by. Some of them were happily chatting on their phones while others just had a blank expression on their faces, probably tired after a long day at work. I wondered if I looked like every time I got off work. 

My thoughts drifted to a memory three months ago, when I was filling in for Mrs Fujimura. From the rumours I heard, her sister had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital that day. That's why she was in a rush. I remember how her husband was already at the nursery gate, waiting to pick her up, so he could be with her when she needed him.

_Ah, must be nice to have someone take care of you._

That was also the first time I met Takeo's father, Kuroo Tetsurou. I remember how beautiful he looked under the setting sun, with his soft tousled hair covering part of his face. He looked intimidating from afar with his tall stature and the way he dressed. But up close, he felt warm. The gentle smile he gave his son, and that pair of delicate grey eyes .. 

The memory was so vivid that it felt as though I was seeing it in real life.

_Wait-_

_Those eyes!_

I stood up, and there he was. His head turning left and right, finding something, or someone. 

I ran towards him, yelling, "Mr Kuroo!"

He turned towards me, his gaze meeting mine. My heart was still pounding when we finally stood face to face. He wasn't wearing his suit like last time. From the looks of it, he was probably searching for the bracelet at home before he called the nursery. His white shirt was lined with irregular folds and his collar button was off. Takeo was sleeping in his arms, resting his head on his chest. 

"Are you okay? Miss Sasaki?" he asked. 

He remembers my name?

"I'm sorry, I just thought that I would never find you," I replied, while mentally trying to calm myself.

He gave a little chuckle, "Well, you found me." 

I rummaged into my bag and took out the little pouch where I kept Takeo's bracelet. I handed it to him, finally calming down, "The clasp broke but the rest is still okay." He looked at the bracelet, and looked at me, "It's alright, as long as it's here." "Thank you, Miss Sasaki," he added. "You can call me Harumi, I'm not at work anyways," I said. He nodded. 

I felt my stomach rumbling again. _I need to go home._

"I'm going to head off now, goodbye Mr Kuroo," I said, walking towards the ticket scanner leading into the underground subway. 

As I was about to scan my card, a hand grab hold of my wrist. I turned around. 

_Kuroo Tetsurou._

With a gentle look on his face he said, "Harumi, let me drive you home."


	2. What happened after

I wasn't sure if my body was reacting to the insufficient sugar levels in my system (I should've bought the onigiri), or the fact that Kuroo Tetsurou was offering to drive me home; my knees felt weak.

_Should I accept it? Would it be rude if I didn’t? Why is my heart racing?_

At that point I think the Gods were trying to play with me, because Kuroo leaned in closer, swerving his head to speak directly into my ear, "Harumi, let me give you a ride." Oh, how my thoughts travelled far after hearing that.

His face was so close to mine that I could smell the faint aroma wafting off his shirt collar. It was a sweet floral smell, which reminded me of the Takonoki leaves my mother often used in her cooking. It felt so familiar. I started imagining how nice it would be to fall asleep wrapped up in his scent.

_Stop it, Takeo is literally right there. Don't think of anything weird._

My inner monologue was cut off by the sound of someone shouting, "Get a move on, you're blocking the way!" We both turned our heads simultaneously and saw a short man, dressed in security uniform, walking towards our direction. Judging by his expression, he wasn't happy. _"_ Let's move to the side," Kuroo beckoned, making his way to a vending machine nearby, tugging me along by the wrist. After the security guy was satisfied, he turned around, and walked back to where he came from. The more I looked at him, the more he seemed to look like Peter Pettigrew from Harry Potter, at least from the back. My head started recalling the scene when he turned back into his human form after twelve years as a rat.

_Wouldn't it be funny if that guy turned into a rat now?_

Harumi?" The hand that grabbed my wrist was no longer there. Instead, my forehead was welcomed with the flick of a finger. _"_ Ouch! That hurt!" I blurted. Kuroo, with a slight smirk on his face went on to give me another one. "You're spacing out. Should I have called you Miss Sasaki instead of your first name?” He gave out a small laugh, and gazes into me. As dreamy as it was, something else was on my mind.

_MY BEAUTIFUL FOREHEAD. HOW DARE HE FLICKED ME, T.W.I.C.E._

By then, it wasn't just my forehead getting red, my face was too. "Mr Kuroo, with all due respect, please refrain from doing such acts. My forehead has done nothing wrong to upset you." I said, trying my best to sound as serious as possible. Kuroo, with the same smirk on his face replied with "Oya? Are you angry, chibi-chan?"

_Chibi? Who are you calling chibi? I’m just a few inches shorter than you!_

I let out a big sigh. _Calm down, he's still a client at Hiroo Nursery. Be professional._

"I am absolutely fine, Mr Kuroo," I stated, giving him the brightest smile I could offer.

After hearing that, he gave out the most interesting laugh I had ever heard. It was loud, and I dare say it sounded a lot like a rooster's cackle. "You’re very interesting, chibi-chan," he muttered in between.

_Again with the chibi- chan. Is he blind?_ _I’m literally taller than the average female in Japan._

I could feel my eyebrows furrowing as I gave him a death stare.

"Daddy?" The small head on his chest turned to face him.

"Ah, sorry Takeo, did daddy wake you up?" Kuroo stopped his rooster mating call and gave his attention to his son, hints of leftover laughter still in his eyes. On the other hand, Takeo ignored his question and gave me a curious look, "Miss Sasaki?"

"Good evening, Takeo," I replied. His eyes were still groggy from sleep. I noticed that the little bruise he got today was less purplish than before and now there was a dried-up drool stain next to it. He showed me a smile and held out his hand to give me a little wave. A burst of serotonin shot into my head.

_THE CUTENESS IS KILLING ME._

Kuroo, sensing that I wasn’t as mad anymore, offered to drive me home again.

“Fine, I accept a ride from you. Don’t kidnap me please,” I agreed. He gave me a sinister look and tilted his head to the left, “The car is that way.”

We went down a small staircase connected to the sidewalk and entered an underground parking space. The place was packed. Besides that, the area was well lit with LED lights on its ceiling, providing vision for cars to go in and out of their parking spaces. It was clear that we were directly under a mall because I could see people carrying shopping bags into their cars. Curious, I asked, “How did you manage to get a parking here? And at this hour?”

“Oh, they reserved a parking for me,” he said, bluntly. “Ah, there it is,” he pointed out to a black Aston Martin, parked right in front of the entrance that was connecting the mall to the parking lot.

I always knew the parents who send their kids to Hiroo Nursery were somewhat on the richer side. Because one, the nursery was a famous private daycare center, and its pricing was way above the normal range. And two, based on the children’s “About me” profiles that they make in class, 80% of them would write the names of prestigious neighborhoods as their home address. Sangen-jaya, which is where Takeo is from, being one of them. But seeing his car and the fact that the mall reserved a parking just for him, I realized that he was not only rich, but holds some degree of power in his name. The simple, _businessman,_ that Takeo wrote about his dad’s job was a clear understatement.

Kuroo opened the passenger door and the smell of new leather drifted into my nose.

“Is this a new car?” I asked.

“How’d you know?” He expressed, sounding somewhat impressed.

“It smells new. Plus, I’ve never seen you use it before.”

“Are you stalking me, Harumi?”

“Of course not! You’ve just always used a white car when you drop Takeo off at the nursery.”

“White car? Oh, the Range Rover. My sister is borrowing it this week, said she wanted to go on a road trip with friends. So, I bought new one,” he said, matter-of-factly.

_Bought a new one? Sir, this car is worth more than two of my kidneys._

“Let me get this straight, you bought a new Aston Martin, because your sister is using your car for a week?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you have spare cars at home?”

“I have a motorbike, but I can’t bring Takeo around with that. The whole ‘getting another parking spot’ procedure for my condo is also very troublesome. So, I settled with just one car.”

_This man is either crazy rich or just crazy._

I didn’t know what to say.

“Anyways, can you hold Takeo during the ride? As you can see, there’s not much room at the back for the baby seat.”

After agreeing to his request, he let me handle Takeo while he undid the clasps and moved the baby seat to the trunk. Around me, I could hear the murmurs of mall goers as they passed by his car. One conversation spiked my interest the most.

Lady A: Who is he? He’s so hot.

Lady B: He must be rich too. Look at that car!

Lady A: Shh, his wife will hear us.

Lady B: Omg, he must be a great husband. Look at him, carrying stuff for her.

I was about to say, “I’m not his wife!” and “Why are your standards so low?” but was interrupted by Kuroo signaling me to get in the car. Kuroo sat in the driver’s seat and started the car. It purred to life with a soft hum. “We go home?” Takeo asked. Kuroo reached out his hand and gave him a little pat in the head, “Not yet Takeo, we have to send Miss Sasaki home first.” Takeo gave a little nod and snuggled into my arms, I responded by wrapped him up a little tighter. “I think he likes you more than me, Miss Sasaki,” Kuroo pointed out.

By that point, we were already outside of the parking lot. Colorful lights were streaming through the car windows as we drove along Shibuya district. While waiting for the traffic lights to change color, Kuroo gave his son a little poke on the cheek and held out his left hand. Takeo stopped snuggling with me and reached his hand out too. Kuroo’s hands were so big that Takeo’s small hands could only hold his father’s pinky. Their hands maintained that way for a while, with Kuroo’s finger wrapped up in his son’s hands, and him using his free hand to do the steering.

Just as we were turning into my street, a storm came. Lightning cracked through the sky, sending heaven’s light down to earth. A deafening crack of thunder followed right after. The heavy rain minimized the amount of vision we had on the road, and the streetlights became nothing but a blur of light in between the greys of storm. I could feel my anxiety acting up, I clenched my skirt; I hate storms.

Sensing this, Kuroo increased the radio volume, trying to cover the orchestra of sounds booming around us. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer. I felt my grip loosened. It was interesting how he was comforting me, without even saying anything. A few minutes passed and we finally arrived at my apartment. Kuroo let go of me and turned down the radio. “You okay?” he asked. “Yea, thanks for…just now,” I managed to reply.

“No worries. Do you have an umbrella?” he questioned.

“I have one in my bag.”

“That’s good, I guess this is goodbye,” looked at me, sincerity in his eyes.

_Is he going to drive home now? In this storm?_

“Kuroo, do you want to stay for dinner? … While you wait for the storm to go away. It’s dangerous to drive in this weather.” I asserted.

He was silent for a few seconds.

“Alright.”

Kuroo turned off engine, and the three of us made our way to my apartment.


	3. Rain and silence

“I’m home!”

I took off my shoes and ushered Kuroo and his son to come in. “Who are you talking to?” Kuroo asked.

“My housemate.”

“But there’s no one here,” He pointed out.

_Eh? He should be home by now._

I checked my phone and sure enough there was a message notification on my lock screen. The whole ‘let me drive you home’ situation had distracted me so much that I didn’t even notice it. The text was sent half an hour ago and it read,

_Gig at the new bar downtown. Not sure what time I’ll be back. – Bokuto x_

“So that’s where he went,” I muttered under my breath. I glanced back up at Kuroo, “Looks like he went out. Make yourselves at home, I’ll prepare dinner after I get this uniform out of the way.” He gave a little nod and sat down on the sofa with Takeo.

As I was heading towards my bedroom, I heard Takeo muttering some words to his father. It sounded as if he was excited about something. I turned around and saw him point at a guitar next to the TV. Kuroo noticed that I was looking and asked if it was mine.

I shook my head, “It’s Bokuto’s, my housemate. He’s a bass player for one of the local bands here. That’s just one of his playthings.”

“Can we borrow it?” Kuroo sought.

_Hmm… I don’t think he would mind that much if someone borrowed it. He rarely uses it anyways._

“Sure. Just don’t break it, okay?” I answered.

Kuroo gave a little nod and brought the guitar to the sofa. After settling himself in a comfortable position, he started playing _Yellow_ by Coldplay. Takeo was right beside him, his eyes sparkled as he listened to the beautiful melody coming from the guitar.

When I was finally in my room, I tossed my uniform onto the bed and removed my bra.

_Ah, I can finally wear comfortable clothes._

I rummaged through my closet to find something wearable and realized that there was only lingerie left.

_Eh? Where are all my clothes? I remember washing them yesterday. It should be dry-_

My eyes widened.

_The laundry is still hanging outside._

I took the nearest towel I could find and wrapped it around my body. I ran out of my room as fast as possible and opened the sliding doors to the balcony outside. The strong winds that blew in made my skin shiver and the dry towel around my body was now wet. I took the clothes off the drying rack with swift hand movements and carried them into the living room.

_Ugh, storms._

Right after I passed the door, I felt my feet fly out from under me as I landed hard on the floor. The clothes I was holding sprawled out into a colorful mess.

“Harumi, are you okay?”

I looked up and saw Kuroo looming over me. He closed the doors and helped me get back to my feet. “Oya? I didn’t know you had a tattoo,” he pointed out to the little strawberry I had on my left shoulder.

“Oh, I had it when I was 19,” I replied, picking up the clothes on the floor. Kuroo noticed what I was doing and helped me carry them.

“Why a strawberry?”

“I like strawberries. Most of my tattoos are things that I like.”

His eyes gleamed. I could tell that he was getting interested with the topic. “How many do you have?”

“Just four.”

“Can you show them to me?” He asked. His eyes started scanning my body, checking to see if the other tattoos were visible too.

_I would, but then you’ll see my naked body. And let’s not forget, Takeo is right there._

“My eyes are up here, Kuroo. And no, you can’t see them,” I replied, pushing his chin up so our eyes met.

By then, the mess on the floor was solved. I brought Kuroo into my room and told him to place the laundry inside the basket at the corner of the room.

_That’s settled. Now to find something wearable, again. Maybe I should steal Bokuto’s shirt. I probably won’t even need pants if it’s long enough._

While I was busy figuring out what to do, Kuroo started unbuttoning his shirt. I sucked in a deep breath as his shirtless torso was being exposed right in front of my eyes. Every muscle on him was flowing from light into the dark. However, that wasn’t the most surprising part. Besides capturing all the curves and lines on his body, it also showed off the beautiful tattoos he had. My eyes trailed down as he popped off his buttons, one by one. 

When the last button was off, he pulled down his shirt to show the full view of his torso. Tattoos sprawled out from his chest to the sides and ending on his hips, leaving the center untouched. Some were big, while others were smaller than a coin; all of it harmonized into an alluring work of art. I was equally stunned and mesmerized at the view I was seeing.

He took a few steps closer, “I got most of these when I was in university.” Realizing that I was gawking the whole time, I tried my best to focus on his face. “They’re amazing, Kuroo,” I expressed. “Thanks,” he gushed. Kuroo proceeded to walk closer to me. His face let out a mischievous smirk. “I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours, Harumi.”

_HAH? Does he want me to strip like him?_

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m not going to let you see them, Kuroo. And I never asked to see yours.”

Kuroo squinted his eyes at me, “Fine.”

“Good. I’m going to borrow one of Bokuto’s shirts now. You should wear yours too.”

I left the room and walked into the one next to mine.

_Takeo, what is your dad trying to do to me?_

After some time, I found a nice grey sweater in Bokuto's closet and tried it on. It had the familiar detergent smell that we always used and honestly it was ten times more comfortable than my own clothes.

_I should steal more of his sweaters next time._

The fabric was soft, and it hung loosely down my bum. I made a few spins to see if my underwear would be exposed if I moved too much. Safe to say it didn’t expose anything I didn’t want to, but just to keep it PG, I rummaged through his clothes again to find a pair of shorts. A black volleyball short with yellow sides caught my attention. It was smaller than the rest, so it fit comfortably on my waist.

_These are probably some of his older shorts. Perfect._

After putting them on, I unlocked the door and made my way to the kitchen to prepare dinner. While looking through the fridge, I heard footsteps coming my way. I peeked out from behind the fridge door and saw Kuroo, fully clothed, walking towards the kitchen with Takeo.

“Kuroo, are you and Takeo allergic to anything?” I asked.

“Nope, we’re fine with anything.”

“Alright.”

_Hmm, I guess I’ll cook some fish tonight; As for Takeo, porridge should be okay._

Kuroo leaned his body against the kitchen counter, “Need help?”

“Um…” I looked around to see what he can help with. “Can you cook the rice?” 

"Sure."

I opened the bottom cabinet and showed him where the rice was stored, “I’ll make porridge for Takeo, so it’s just the both of us eating it. The rice cooker is over there by the way.” I pointed at the little machine next to the microwave. He made an OK sign and bent down to talk to his son.

“Takeo, wanna help daddy cook rice?”

“Okay!” he exclaimed.

When the food was finally ready, the three of us sat together at the dining table and started eating.

“Kuroo, won’t Takeo’s mom be worried that you guys aren’t home yet?” I asked jokingly.

“She would if she was still here.”

_Eh?_

“I’m sorry... I didn’t know.” I was both embarrassed and stunned. Embarrassed because I actually tried to joke about his wife, and stunned because I never knew he was a single father. The manager never told us anything about the children’s parents. The only thing we knew about them were from the ‘about me’ profiles they made. And most of the time Takeo would leave his mother’s section empty.

_Oh._

Takeo, hearing about his mum, chimed into the conversation, “Yes she is. She’s right here. Right daddy?” Takeo placed his hands on his chest and gave his father a smile. Kuroo, somewhat surprised at his son's response, nodded his head in agreement.

The rain stopped right after we finished eating. By then it was already 8 o’clock and Takeo was on his father’s phone, watching the new episode of Pororo. Meanwhile, his father and I were in the kitchen doing the dishes.

“Um, Kuroo… I’m really sorry for just now.”

“Don’t worry too much about it. You should worry more about this sponge of yours. It’s deteriorating.” Kuroo squished the sponge in his hands and it started to break apart into tiny pieces.

“Well don’t do that, it’s gonna get worse!”

He gave a little chuckle and squished it even harder. “Kuroo!” I took the sponge out of his hands and tried to salvage what was left. He snatched it back and the both of us ended up playing a game of "Who has faster hands" with the sponge. Our laughs diffused around the kitchen and the glum atmosphere left off during dinner faded away.

“Takeo is a great kid, isn't he?"

"Yeap, he's one special kid."

"Ho ho! With a teacher like me, every student is bound to be great." I puffed up my shoulders and made a victory face. Kuroo rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say, chibi-chan." 

_Seems like he’s feeling better.  
_

I rearranged my thoughts and decided to blurt out the question that was on my mind for quite some time.   
  
"Um, Kuroo.."

“Yea?”

“What happened to Takeo’s mom?” 

Kuroo went silent.

_What am I doing? I shouldn’t meddle into other people’s business. Take it back Harumi, take it back._

“You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to-,”

“It’s alright,” he put down his sponge and turned to face me, “It happened two years ago. I was supposed to drive her home that night, but was caught up with work and she decided to go home by herself. Right when she was crossing the street from the office, a car drove pass the red light and hit her. She was eight months pregnant then. The doctors managed to save the baby but not her."

I stood there, processing the words he just said. I stared into his grey eyes; my heart fell silent.


	4. Takeo

武 (Ta ke) – Valor; bravery

雄(o) – Male

I finally understood why Kuroo choose to name his son Takeo; he was the little warrior that withstood everything and chose to live.

_Damn._

Hearing his story unlocked a past memory that I wish was never dug out. It was a memory of such intense pain, that I’ve subconsciously buried it in the deepest part of my mind. The pattering of rain, the screams from mother, and the broken promise. I felt my heart rip. I tried my best to keep it together, yet tears started trinkling down my face. Death is such a funny thing, it’s meant to free the soul from hurt, but just as time doesn’t stop, neither does pain. Like time, it continues, and the ones left behind inherit them instead. I took a step forward, and embraced Kuroo in my arms.

“Harumi?”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.” I sobbed into his chest and my tears streamed down his white shirt. My breathing was ragged, my hands clenching on his back.

He hugged me tighter.

“I’m sorry for making you cry, Harumi. But I’m okay now. I’ve grieved and I’ve accepted. I have to stay strong for Takeo too.” I could feel the warmth of his breath as we got closer. The familiar takonoki scent greeting my senses. 

I gazed up.

“What was her name?” Our eyes met.

“Morine. Morine Ayaka.”

_What a beautiful name._

I pushed myself away and steadied myself in front of him. “I’m sorry, that was very unsightly,” I blurted out. He reached his hand out and gave me a pat of the head. “Don’t worry about it, chibi-chan.”

We both got out of the Kitchen and saw Takeo fast asleep on the sofa, his father’s phone on his belly. Kuroo walked up towards him and carried him in his arms. “I think we’re gonna head off now. Thanks for dinner, Harumi.”

And just like that, I was alone in my apartment again. I laid on my bed with thoughts racing through my head. Needless to say, it wasn’t a good night’s sleep. Upon waking the next day, I sat on my bed, giving myself a moment to shed the sleep from my brain. In a few minutes I would be doing the same routines as I always have and go to work the same way. Unfortunately, nothing ever goes according to plan. Right after I finished washing up three things happen.

One, we ran out of coffee. My lifeforce was already dwindling with the lack of good sleep yesterday and now I don’t even have anything to cope with it. Two, when I tried to get coffee in the café nearby, I realized I left my purse at home. I started questioning if the amount of forgetfulness I have was normal. And three, I missed the train because I had to go back and get my purse.

_I hate myself._

I stood next to the platform and waited for the next train to arrive. People around me had their heads down, focusing on the devices on their palms. The robotic voice from the station broadcast echoed through the underground tunnels, notifying people which train was coming up next. I took a sip of the coffee in my hands; its aromatic smell tingled my senses. It was a new blend of beans they brought in from Jamaica and it was prepared magnificently. The taste was smooth, with a rich and arousing aftertaste. I may be conservative in spending money, but I would never miss out on a good cup of coffee.

The next train to Minato arrived 15 minutes later, I hopped on with the group of people waiting behind me and we were on our way. The train was packed, as usual. I was standing by the door, holding the railing above me. My thoughts wandered to the night before.

_Morine Ayaka._

I took out my phone and searched up her name and ‘car accident’. The incident was posted on every news agency in Japan.

**One dead after accident in Shinagawa.**

**Tokyo Police arrest driver that killed a 25-year-old woman.**

**K Industries tragedy as head researcher loses life in car accident.**

“Next station, Hiro-o. Doors open on the left-hand side. Please mind the gap.”

_Ah, that’s my station._

I shoved my phone into my bag and took one last sip of coffee before readying myself to alight the train. I checked the time on my watch.

8:13 am.

 _My shift was supposed to start at 8._ My heart slumped. _I really hope they don’t cut my pay._

After 5 minutes of sprinting, I finally clocked into work. I placed my bag on my desk and proceeded to enter my class. “Good morning, Miss Sasaki!” The kids greeted me as soon as I walked in. Osamu was the first one to run up to me. “Miss Sasaki, look!” He handed me a piece of paper with what looked like a disfigured alien drawn on it. “I drew you!” he continued, happily pointed at the art piece I was holding.

_Eh?_

“Uh, thanks Osamu. It looks amazing!”

_Do I really look like that in his eyes?_

He gave a cheeky laugh and ran back to his group of friends. They all laughed among themselves.

_HEH? It was intentional! You little –_

“Miss Sasaki! Someone wants to see you,” a voice chimed in from behind me. I turned around and one of the admin staff was standing by my classroom door. “He’s waiting at the main entrance,” she continued.

_Strange, I don’t think I scheduled anyone to meet me here, and at this hour?_

I scratched my head in confusion. _But then again, I’m not so good at remembering things._

“Kids, I’m going out for a moment. Be good, okay?”

“Okay, Miss Sasaki!”

I made my way to the main entrance, and was greeted by a warm hello from none other than Kuroo Tetsurou. His right hand held onto Takeo’s while his other hand was occupied by something else.

“Good morning, Miss Sasaki!” Takeo gave me a small wave.

“Good morning, Takeo,” I uttered.

Kuroo let go of Takeo’s hands, “Takeo, why don’t you go play with your friends in class?” He gave an agreeing nod and ran past me towards the direction of his classroom. Kuroo took a few steps forward to reduce the distance between us. “Miss Sasaki, this is for you,” he held his hand out and gave me the thing he was holding. “What is it?” I asked, somewhat confused with the situation I was in. “I made you some lunch, you know, as repayment for dinner yesterday,” he gushed.

My face went crimson.

_What in the shojo manga is this?_

I was at a lost of words. The number of times this man made me lose all sense of vocabulary as starting to worry me.

“Oh, thanks.”

_Oh, thanks? Is that the best you can do, Harumi?_

“I’m gonna head off now. Have a great day Miss Sasaki!” Kuroo turned his back and walked towards the gate, waving goodbye as he left. Behind me I could hear my colleagues murmuring about what they just witnessed. I couldn’t see them but could feel some unholy stares piercing through my back.

_Ah great._

I made my way to the teachers’ office, bento in hand, and thoughts in my head. I sat down on my desk and untied the cloth wrapping it. I was mesmerized. Fine details were carved onto its cover, resembling Sakura flowers in bloom. The wooden glaze sparkled under the light, highlighting the texture lines on its surface. A small note was attached on the cover.

_I really hope you’re not allergic to beef. – Kuroo_

I opened the box. The tantalizing smell of cooked beef floated around me. The meat was sliced up into thin piece and arranged neatly on some rice, a hint of red still visible on its surface. In one corner was a stir-fried bell peppers and broccoli, and the other were four big, juicy strawberries.

_He remembered._

I felt a surge of happiness running down my veins. The shitty events that happened today were no longer relevant. I closed the lid and wrapped it back in its original form.

_I can’t wait to eat this later._

The day went by and soon I was back at home. I brought along the bento from earlier and placed it next to the kitchen sink while I get a change of clothes. Bokuto was back from work as well and was casually strumming on his bass guitar in the living room. I reminisced the wonderful lunch I had earlier and wondered what ingredients he used to make it so tasty.

“Haru-chan,” Bokuto called out from outside the room. “Did you steal someone’s lunch or something?”

I walked out of the room wearing the sweater from yesterday (my clothes were still fucked) and approached Bokuto. He pointed out to the bento, “This looks too expensive to be yours.”

I glared at him, “Why is it the first thing you think of is me stealing stuff?”

He looked at me up and down.

“Aren’t you stealing something now?”

_Ah, he found out._

I let out a nervous laugh. “In my defense, my clothes were ruined by the storm last night. I had no choice but to _borrow_ yours.”

“Whatever you say, Haru-chan,” he rolled his eyes. “So, whose bento did you steal?”

I took a step closer and tilted my head up to face him, “I didn’t steal it. As a matter of fact, someone made lunch for me.” Bokuto imitated me and took one step closer. “Who was it?” He looked down on me with his golden eyes.

“Just one of the kid’s parents.”

“Oya? Careful, Haru-chan, you don’t wanna be a homewrecker.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi readers! You can also find this fanfic in Wattpad under the same name. I’ll update more chapters in the coming weeks!


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